Letter: South Carolina Education Funding Isn’t Reaching Classrooms

While I agree with you about the sorry state of South Carolina’s public schools, please take into account the limited amount of funds that actually reach the classroom. Money is diverted in many ways: Literacy coaches, math coaches, reading coaches, instructional coaches, curriculum directors, endless (and senseless) professional development programs, adoption of the latest technology driven instruction (usually abandoned after one year when some other slick educational consultant shows up), adoption of the latest fad lesson plan formats, operations directors, state department consultants, drop-out prevention specialists … there is an endless list of non-direct instructional folks.

We have attendance coordinators who do little to curb excessive absences in the elementary schools (excessive tardies in the elementary school can’t be blamed on the children – and parents are not held accountable). We have out-of-control students who routinely disrupt classrooms and teachers then get blamed for having poor classroom management skills. We have no paper – or not enough paper – broken copiers, broken printers, special education students who are given a pass on criminal behaviors.

I can go on and on … but many teachers have little control and as a result are defeated within the first few weeks.

We don’t need more money in the schools, we need more money directed toward the classroom and toward teacher pay – not the six-figured administrators prancing around in stilettos or fancy suits.

Sincerely,

Mary SpringTimmonsville, S.C.

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SIC SEZ …

Mary: These are excellent points. Thank you for sharing them with me – and with FITSNews readers. You are correct, there is a ton of non-classroom revenue and a ton of bloated bureaucracy – which is why pumping more money into the current system is only going to make failure more expensive. Again, appreciate you sharing this! Hopefully lawmakers and local school board leaders will heed your words …

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